Even though
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) had been headquartered in
Salt Lake City for some twenty years by that time, they were despised by the surrounding community, as Young had disparaged non-Mormon merchants who had engaged in
price gouging on necessities, and encouraged boycotting these businesses in 1866. Business owners who were LDS Church members were routinely charged higher prices by wholesalers who discovered they were dealing with church members. Partly because of the impending completion of the railroad, and partly to create a more fair business atmosphere, it was Young's idea to encourage businesses owned by LDS Church members to band together under one roof. By pooling their resources, they were able to make larger orders to sell materials and goods exclusively (at the time) to fellow LDS Church members. ZCMI was formally organized in 1868 and incorporated for a 25-year renewable contract in 1870. The central component of this was the LDS Church's purchase of the Eagle Emporium, a conglomerate of mercantile companies owned by
William Jennings. in
downtown Salt Lake City, 2004 Based in Salt Lake City, it quickly became a household name in the community. The LDS Church was a significant influence in the company, retaining a majority interest in ZCMI until its eventual sale in December 1999. The store was established by a vote from the
Council of Fifty, an early organization in the LDS Church. The store president would often also be LDS Church
president, with
Harold Harper Bennett being the first store president to not also hold the church office. In 1990, ZCMI opened its first concept store called ZCMI II. Featuring a smaller floor plan than its usual stores, this concept sold solely men's and women's clothing and shoes, while lacking other departments such as housewares, linens, and children's clothing. The first of these opened at
Tri City Mall in
Mesa, Arizona in 1990. In October 1999, as a result of losses for two consecutive years, along with mounting economic and social pressures, ZCMI was sold to
May Department Stores Company of
St. Louis, May Co. was sold to
Federated Department Stores (now
Macy's, Inc.) in 2005. In September 2006, all Meier & Frank stores were converted to
Macy's. The
façade of ZCMI was used in the
City Creek Center, retaining the original ZCMI nameplate as a front for
Macy's. ==See also==